Description ** RECORD COLLECTOR ** ED ASKEW ESP-Disk Original UK LP released on Fontana Records in 1969. Fully-laminated cover. Black & silver labels. 888806 1Y//1420 1 1 1 / 888806 2Y//1420 1 1 ***CHECK OUT OUR OTHER VINYL LISTINGS!!!*** One of ESP-Disk's true acid folk classics, up there with their Pearls Before Swine and Fugs albums, Ed Askew's debut is one of the most unique singer/songwriter albums of the '60s. Rather than the usual guitar, Askew plays the tiple, a Latin ten-stringed instrument that's sort of a cross between a lute and a ukulele. It's a loud, trebly instrument with a lot of sustain and some interesting harmonics created by the way the strings resonate together, and it adds an intriguing instrumental texture to the album. Askew has said that the tiple also affects his vocal style on this album; because the instrument is so difficult to play, there's a strained quality to his vocals. Indeed, on the opening, "Fancy That," Askew sounds like the Violent Femmes' Gordon Gano trying to sing North African rai. Lyrically, the album is nowhere near as hippie-dippy as the U.S. title (Ask The Unicorn) suggests. Askew is a gifted, confessional lyricist, and the songs are emotionally engaging in a way that many psychedelic records are not. In a particularly interesting element of the album considering its pre-Stonewall recording date, Askew's lyrics address his homosexuality in an admirably matter-of-fact way, neither ducking the point nor focusing on it exclusively. Other tracks use a number of floral metaphors in a way similar to Georgia O'Keefe's codedly erotic flower paintings. The simply produced live-with-no-overdubs feel gives the album a folk-like immediacy even on the most out-there songs, like the seven-minute drone "May Blossoms Be Praised." Askew never did another commercial release after this, although a 1970 follow-up on ESP-Disk made it as far as a test pressing. In the decades since, the New York-based Askew has pursued a relatively successful career as a painter and poet, and has self-released several cassettes of new material that can be found on the fringe music tape-trading underground. Tracks Are :- Side One Fancy That Peter And David Marigolds Mr. Dream Red Woman - Letter To England Side Two The Garden May Blossoms Be Praised 9-Song Love Is Everyone Ask The Unicorn Released on 'Fontana Records' in 1969 Catalogue No. STL 5519 Disc is in EX+ condition Sleeve is in EX+ condition (a little light storage wear) Please contact me via Ebay Messages with any questions I will try my best to get back to you as quickly as possible. PAYMENT BY PAYPAL ONLY IF BUYING MORE THAN ONE ITEM PLEASE WAIT FOR COMBINED INVOICE!!! --------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT COMBINED SHIPPING ON ALL 12" RECORDS (LPs / 12" SINGLES etc). PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY!!!! We offer combined shipping on vinyl records: our shipping rates are listed below. HOWEVER shipping packages that weigh more than 2kg is VERY expensive. Therefore we can only offer combined shipping up to a maximum of SIX (6) LPs / 12" records. Any extra purchases will be invoiced, packaged and shipped separately. ***Due to the physical logistics of how I can package orders, I will not combine box sets with other items, I will only package them individually*** --------------------------------------------------------- UK POSTAGE RATES FOR 12" RECORDS (LPs & 10"/12" SINGLES): 1 LP £4.25 2 LP £4.25 3 LP £6.50 4 LP £6.50 5 LP £6.50 6 LP £6.50 *********DOUBLES COUNT AS TWO********* INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE RATES TO EUROPE FOR 12" RECORDS: 1 LP £7.35 2 LP £8.65 3 LP £9.65 4 LP £10.45 5 LP £11.60 6 LP £12.40 INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE RATES TO "WORLD ZONE 1" (USA, CANADA, JAPAN etc ) FOR 12" RECORDS: 1 LP £9.80 2 LP £12.35 3 LP £14.50 4 LP £15.50 5 LP £17.00 6 LP £18.20 INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE RATES TO "WORLD ZONE 2" (AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE etc) 1 LP £10.50 2 LP £13.10 3 LP £15.25 4 LP £16.45 5 LP £18.25 6 LP £19.70 *********DOUBLES COUNT AS TWO********* ------------------------------------------------------------- POSTAGE RATES FOR 7” SINGLES & CDs: UK: £2.00 – then £0.50 each extra. EUROPE: £4.95 – then £0.50 each extra. "WORLD ZONE 1" (USA, CANADA, JAPAN etc ): £6.00 – then £1.00 each extra "WORLD ZONE 2" (AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND etc): £6.55 then £1.00 each extra *********DOUBLES COUNT AS TWO********* --------------------------------------------------- COMBINED POSTAGE FOR DIFFERENT FORMATS will be invoiced at my discretion: While I am happy to combine (for example) one or two 7” singles into one package with 12” records, sometimes it isn’t practical (like if you want me to combine one 12” record with three or more 7” records). I do not think that these combinations can be packaged together safely and securely. Therefore these will be invoiced separately as two packages. IF YOU ARE UNSURE, please contact me before bidding! --------------------------------------------------- Sorry but I am no longer willing to carry combined transactions beyond two weeks of auctions (see below). --------------------------------------------------- PAYMENT I would appreciate payment within seven days of the auction's end. If you want to bid on more of our auctions ending a week later please inform me. I will wait and issue a combined invoice at the close of the second week's auctions. However, I am no longer willing to carry combined transactions beyond two weeks and in these cases would appreciate payment promptly after the close of the second week's auctions. I am sorry to have to introduce these measures – I always try to be patient and allow buyers to bid on extra auctions and / or delay payment. Unfortunately some buyers have been stretching out transactions to unacceptable lengths so I have no option but to limit 'carried over' transactions to two weeks.